Electric time-alarm for hotels, &amp;c.



, 'G. M. HINMAN. ELECTRIC TIME ALARM FOR HOTELS, 6w.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 16, 1909.

Patented Jan. 24. 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. HINMAN, OF LINDSAY, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC TIME-ALARM FOR HOTELS, &c.

California have'invented a new and useful Electric Time-Alarm for Hotels, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical systems and more particularly to call bells, alarms and the like, the object of which is to provide a system for use in hotels, inns and similar places, which is so constructed and arranged that an indeendent alarm mechanism may be located in'each room and controlled automatically from a main operating mechanism.

The alarm mechanism is adapted to permit the guest. or occupant of the room to regulate the time at which the alarm is to operate and is more particularly adapted for giving a signal to wake the occupant of a room at a predetermined time, thereby-relieving the clerk or other employees of the hotel from the responsibility of calling the guests.

It further consists 0 an alarm mechanism for o erating simultaneously the signals in all of the rooms in case of fire, the same being controlled from the main operating device.

It furtherconsists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawin one form thereof which is at pres ent preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to'the precise arrange ment and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents adiagram of a circuit embodying my invention and adapted to operate an alarm. Fig. 2 represents a diagram embodying my invention, showing portions of the mechanism in section. Fig. 3 represent a perspective of a portion of the v controlling mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referin to the drawings: 1 designates a suitable clock actuated by the customary Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 24, 1911,

Application flled December 16, 1909. Serial No. 533,449.

operating mechanism, the clock in the present instance having secured to the facethereof a plurality of contacts 2 suitably spaced apart and located in substantial alinement with the hour and half hour points of the clock face. These contacts are positioned to project a sufficient distance above the face 1 of the clock to be engaged by the hour hand 3 of the clock as it trav erses over the clock face to indicate the hours and half hours. This hour hand 3 is mounted upon the arbor 4, in the present instance being connected thereto so as to form a conductor for a current of electricity.

5 designates the minute hand of the clock which is positioned upon the spindle 6 and provided with insulation 7 to prevent contact with the arbor at and its co-acting hour hand 3.

S designates an auxiliary contact, here shown as positioned adjacent the contact of the hour twelve, although of course it will be apparent that the same may be located at any desired point about the circumference of the clock face 1.. Each of the contacts 2 is connected by a lead wire 9 with a socket 10 of a dial or switch board 11, one of the latter forming a part of the equipment of each room. As here shown, the wire 9 leads from the contact 2 at the hour the socket 10 of the correspon ing point 5 of the dial or switch board 11 and it will be understood that the remaining contacts are each connected with the corresponding contact upon the dial or switch board 11, thereby making, it possible to form an electrical connection between the respective contacts for the purpose of giving an alarm at a predetermined time. In the present ins stance the dial 11 is constructed by borin suitable apertures therethrough at space intervals to correspond to the hour and half hour points, said apertures being adapted tov receive a metallic socket 10, to each ofoint five to one of the hours by a wire 21 with the auxiliarycontact 8 of the clock face. This central socket is the fire alarm control for that room and when the device is not in use, that is not set for anyvparticular hour, the plug 12 is placed within the socket 20, thereby forming a fire alarm circuit broken at one point only, which is the plug 8 on the clock face. As each of the fire alarm circuits in the different-rooms is controlled by the plug 8, it will be apparent that in order to rin simultaneously all of the alarms it is onIy necessary to connect the plug 8 in some manner. with the arbor 4, which is electrically connected to the battery 18. In the present instance I control the closing of the fire circuit by means of a sleeve 22, which is suitably threaded as at 23 for engagement with the threaded portion of the clock case 24. This sleeve 22 is preferably formed with an annular flange 25 which extends over a portion of the face 1 sufiicient to cover the contacts 2 and with respect to which it is located in close proximity, so that only a slight movement thereof brings the same into contact and leadsthe circuit from the plug 8 through the hour hand 3 and the arbor 4.

In the operation of the device the plug. 12 is insertedin the socket representing the hour at which the person desires to be called and for the purposes of illustration we will assume that the plug has been placed in the socket 10 of the switch board or dial 11, designating five oclock. When the hour hand 3 of the clock engages the contact 2 at the five oclock point a circuit will be closed from the battery 18 through the wire 19, arbor at, hour hand 3, contact 2, wire 9, socket 10 of the dial 11 through the plug 12, flexible connection 13, to the bell l5 and return by wire 17 to the battery. A: similar circuit could of course be traced for any designated on the dial 11 but for the purposes of illustration the one shown is considered to be sufiicicntand it is also thought unnecessary to describe in detail the circuits for any of the other rooms as they are substantially a duplication of the one shown in Fig. l. WVhen the device is not set to ring the alarm at any designated hour, the plug 12 is located within the socket 20, thereby forming a circuit through the bell l5, battery 18 to the hour hand 3 as one terminal and by way of the wire 2t to l the plug 8, which forms the other terminal. In order to close this circuit the sleeve 22 is given a slight turn whereby the screw threads bring it into contact with the plug 8 and simultaneously with the hour hand 3 and other contacts 2, thus closing the terminal of the circuit to give a signal. The signal so given indicates lire and is controlled, as will be clear, by the clerk or cm ployee in the office of the building, whose l duty it is to turn the sleeve 22 in case of' fire' imd thus send simultaneously the fire alarm signal throughout the various rooms in the house.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the ,features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of in vention and the above description and while I have inth'c present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An alarm system consisting of a main circuit closing clock' provided with contacts, dials with contacts corresponding to those on the clock, connections between the two sets of contacts, batteries and alarm devices in the circuit of said connections, an auxiliary contact on each dial, a detachable plug normally engaging said auxiliary contact to connect the same in circuit, an auxiliary contact on said clock, and means to form a connection between said clock auxiliary contact and the other clock contacts to close a plurality of alarm circuits.

2. An alarm system consisting of a main circuit closing clock provided with contacts, dials with contacts corresponding to those on the clock, connections between the two sets of'contact s, batteries and alarm devices in the circuit of said connections, an auxiliary contact on each dial, means to normally connect said auxiliary contact in circuit, an auxiliary contact on said clock, and a cap secured to said clock and adapted to connect said clock auxiliary contact with the other clock contacts to close a plurality of alarm circuits.

3. An alarm system consisting of a main circuit closing clock provided with contacts, dials with contacts corresponding to those on the clock, connections between the two sets of contacts, batteries and alarm devices in the circuit of said connections, an auxiliary contact on each dial, a detachable plug normally engaging said auxiliary contact to connect the same in circuit, an auxiliary contact on said clock, and a cap secured to said clock and adapted to connect said clock auxiliary contact with the other clock contacts to close a plurality of alarm circuits.

4. An alarm system consisting of a main circuit closing clock provided with contacts, an hour hand on said clock adapted to engage said contacts, dials with-contacts corresponding to those on the clock, connections between the two acts of contacts, batteries between said auxiliary contact and all the and alarm devices forming with said conother contacts to close a plurality of cirnections and hour hand a plurality of eleccults. tric circuits, one of said circuits being closed I whenever the hour hand indicates the time I HINMAN' for which the contacts of the dial are con- Witnesses: nected, an auxiliary contact on said dials F. L. STALLmcs, and clock, and means to form a connection J. T. FULLER. 

